Xifres de comerç exterior de Moçambic

Foreign Trade in Figures

Mozambique is open to foreign trade, which represents more than 100% of the country's GDP (World Bank, latest data available). It is a member of the WTO and of the South African Development Community (SADC), and has signed trade agreements with Malawi and Zimbabwe. In February 2018, Mozambique joined the EU–SADC EPA that was signed in June 2016 by Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa, and Swaziland. The country also signed the African Continental Free Trade Agreement. The government seeks to reform its trade regulations to improve its business climate and encourage exports. Customs duties remain high and there are numerous non-tariff barriers in the country (such as slow customs clearance procedures). According to data from the Bank of Mozambique, in 2022, mineral coal – the country’s main export - brought in approximately USD 2,852.2 million for the country, marking an increase of USD 1,386.6 million compared to 2021. This surge was fueled by a combination of the global average price rising by over 100% and a 38.1% increase in exported volume. Aluminum generated revenues of USD 1,645.7 million, up from USD 1,258.7 million in 2021, primarily due to a 9.5% increase in the global average price. Revenue from natural gas and heavy sands exports experienced positive growth of 99.5% and 19.5%, respectively. Excluding mineral products, agricultural products and rubies showed significant growth, rising by USD 162.9 million and USD 27.8 million, respectively. As per imports, capital goods contributed 41.4% to total imports, experiencing a more than 100% increase due to a surge in imports of various machinery, 80% of which is attributed to floating platforms. Intermediate goods accounted for 27.6% of total imports. Finally, consumer goods represented 16.4% of the total import bill.

Mozambique's main customers in 2022 were India (21.1%), South Africa (18.3%), the UK (11.9%), South Korea (6.1%), and China (5.2%); whereas imports came chiefly from South Korea (32%), South Africa (15.6%), the UAE (10%), China (7.2%), and India (5.7%).

Mozambique's trade balance is negative and is expected to remain so until exports of coal and gas to Asia develop further. The trade deficit increased recently due to capital goods imports related to construction and liquefied natural gas projects. In 2022, the country exported USD 8.2 billion, importing 14.6 billion (+48.3% and +70.1% year-on-year, respectively – data WTO). In 2022, the foreign trade in services experienced a negative balance of USD 1,447.1 million, equivalent to 8.6% of GDP. Compared to 2021, this reflects a 16.6% improvement in the deficit. Excluding mineral product transactions, the net service import costs amounted to USD 160.9 million, constituting 1% of GDP, reflecting a 56.6% reduction in the negative balance (Bank of Mozambique).